Monument record 4558/0/1 - Iron Age Field Boundaries

{1} The earliest (stratigraphic) archaeological features consist of two ditches: [205] and [233], and a (probably contemporary) cluster of pits.
Ditch [205] was at least 60m long, 0.48m wide, and was orientated NW-SE. It had a clear terminal at the north-end, but at the southern end it appeared to slowly fade
out, getting increasingly shallower, probably suffering from plough truncation. It had
concave sides and an uneven, curving base.
Ditch [233] was orientated SW-NE, measuring at least 22m long and 0.25-0.3m wide. It was very shallow (0.05m deep), with gradually sloping sides.
Given that ditches [205] and [233] were positioned at a right angle to one-another and that both terminate leaving a gap of 4m, it is possible that these are contemporary ditch boundaries.
The cluster of pits comprised a group of four and a further one 5m to the south-east. All were regularly spaced, broadly circular and on the same alignment as ditch [205]. They could therefore be contemporary to the ditch, although this is not certain. A large proportion of the animal bone assemblage from the site came from these pits, the animals represented including cattle, sheep/goat, horse, and deer.
Pit [128] had a diameter of 1m and depth of 0.2m with vertical sides and a flat base. It
contained Iron Age pottery and animal bone.
Pit [101], 1.5m to the SE, had steep sides and a flat base, and was 0.18m deep. It contained seven sherds of Iron Age pottery.
Pit [116], 2m SE, had a diameter of 1.12m and depth of 0.17m with almost vertical sides and a flat base. It contained four sherds of Iron Age pottery.
Pit [109], 2.7m NE, had a diameter of 1.2m and depth of 0.4m, with near-vertical sides and a flat base. It contained twenty sherds of Iron Age pottery, along with large quantities of charred animal bone, indicating cooking activities.
Charred remains of hulled barley grains and glume wheat were found in samples from pits [101], [109] and [116] associated with cleavers, vetches and grasses. These could be the result of a final cleaning of the crop before consumption. All samples also had seeds of goosefoots and sorrels, which could have been weeds or being consumed as edible leaves.
Pit [102] lay 5m south-east of pit [116], and was broadly on the same alignment as ditch [205] and pits [128], [101], and [116]. It was 1.5m long, 1m wide and 0.26m deep, subcircular with gradual sloping sides and a flat base. It contained 36 sherds of Iron Age pottery and animal bone.

Speed, G., 2015, A pit alignment, Iron Age settlement and Roman cultivation trenches west of South Meadow Road, Upton Northampton (Report). SNN110230.

<1> Speed G., 2013, An Archaeological Excavation on Land to the West of South Meadow Road, Upton, Northamptonshire, p.11-12 (checked) (Report). SNN109336.

Record last edited

Nov 7 2023 3:15PM